Sparking device



March 14, 1967 w. TOMARKIN 3,308,572

SPARRING DEVICE Filed June 27, 1963 NVENTo Leandro W. Tomarkin BY Q AT To United States Patent M 3,308,572 SPARKIN G DEVICE Leandra W. Tomarkin, P.0. Box 393,

Spring Valley, N.Y. 10977 Filed June 27, 1963, Ser. No. 291,182 Claims. (Cl. 46-10) This invention relates to sparking devices and more particularly concerns toys, signalling devices and the like which give off visible sparks when shaken or agitated.

Certain materials, known as triboluminescent phosphors have the property of giving off light in spark form when the materials are manipulated in a particular manner. The phosphors are derived from zinc sulfide in activated form. The zinc sulfide, having little or no cadmium sulfide associated therewith, is activated by adding small amounts of manganese and copper, in combination with a flux of magnesium or sodium chloride. The mixture is roasted, cooled and reduced to powder form.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved sparking device which comprises essentially an enclosed chamber having transparent or translucent walls; powdered triboluminescent material being disposed within the chamber under conditions which give rise to pronounced sparking effects when the device is shaken or agitated to cause rapid movement of the enclosed powdered material.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy or signalling device which upon suitable manipulation will produce a form of luminescence; the toy comprising essentially a closed chamber defined by translucent walls of plastic material with a mixture of a triboluminescent phosphor and friction inducing material within the chamber.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a sparking device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of another sparking device embodying the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 4, showing a modified form of the device of FIG. 3.

It has been found that when zinc sulfide, having little or no cadmium sulfide content, is roasted with a mixture of manganese and copper, together with a flux of magnesium or sodium chloride, the resultant material when shaken or violently agitated will give off a form of luminescence as by sparking. Thus, the zinc sulfide is mixed with a primary activator such as manganese in the amount of 0.1 to 3.0%, preferably 0.5%, by weight. A secondary activator such as copper in an amount not exceeding 0.03% may be optionally included. Also, a flux such as magnesium or sodium chloride, is added in amounts of from 1 to preferably about 4% by weight.

The mixture of zinc sulfide, activator and flux is roasted in a silica container at a neutral or slightly oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature of from 850 to 1300 C., and preferably at about 1100 C. The roasted mixture is cooled and powdered to produce particles having an average diameter of from about 3 to about microns, preferably about 12 microns.

The triboluminescent phosphor in powdered form is incorporated in one embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A toy or signalling device, generally indicated at 10 takes the form of a toy hammer having a head portion 11 and a handle portion 12 extending from the head portion. Both the head and handle portions are formed of molded plastic.

The head portion 11 is of hollow form having wall portions 13 of a suitable configuration to provide central wall 3,308,572 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 portions 14 and opposite end wall portions 15, 16 project mg from the central wall portions and thus providing an enclosed chamber 17. The head portion 11 is formed of translucent or transparent plastic such as polystyrene, yilpyl copolymer, cellulose acetate, polypropylene or the The handle portion 12 includes an elongated member 18 having a reduced upper end portion 19 which is received in a projecting collar portion 20 extending from the underside of the central portion 14 of head 11, the collar portion 20 providing an entry into chamber 17. A transversely extending fastener 21 secures the assembly of handle portion 12 and head portion 11.

Before assembling the handle portion 12 with head portion 11, a mixture of triboluminescent material, as described above and friction inducing material, is placed interiorly of chamber 17. The friction inducing material takes the form of small glass spheres derived from flint glass and having a diameter of the order of from about 3 to about 6 mm. The mixture is made up of from 2 to 4 parts of the glass spheres to 1 part of the triboluminescent phosphor material, all by weight.

The mixture within chamber 17, generally indicated at 22, constitutes by volume from about 5 to about 10% of the volume of the chamber 17. When the device 10 is reciprocated back and forth by handle portion 12, the motion imparted to mixture 22 gives rise to a luminescent, sparking effect, clearly visible through the translucent wall portions of head portion 11. If the glass spheres incorporated in mixture 22 are pre-etched to roughen their surfaces, the sparking elfect is enhanced. The friction inducing material may be of irregular or crystalline configuration, but the spherical form appears to produce optimum results.

' It is understood that the enclosed chamber carrying the mixture of powdered triboluminescent phosphor and friction inducing material may take various forms, providing such chamber may be subjected to a shaking or agitating action. Thus, as shown in FIGS. 3-5, the enclose-d chamber may be in the form of an annular hoop 25 having a tubular wall 26 to provide an annular chamber 27 into which there is introduced the mixture 22 of triboluminescent phosphor and friction inducing material, as described above. Upon agitation or shaking movement of hoop 25, the mixture 22 will give rise to the sparking effects which will be visible through the translucent plastic wall portions 26 forming the hoop 25.

The chamber 27 in hoop 25 may be subdivided by cross partitions 28 at circumferentially spaced intervals to limit the agitated movements of mixture 22. The mixture 22 is introduced into chamber 27 of the hoop 25 when the extruded plastic tubing from which the hoop 25 is made is in its elongated, open ended condition. The tubing is then curved into hoop form and the ends thereof are seamed together.

In the case of the partitioned hoop, the mixture 22 is introduced into the separated chambers through small openings in the tubing wall, which are later sealed.

As various changes might be made in the embodiments of the invention as herein disclosed without departing from the spirit thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown or described, shall be deemed illustrative and not limiting except as set forth in the apended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A sparking device comprising an enclosed chamber having light transmitting wall portions and a mixture of powdered triboluminescent phosphor material and granular friction inducing material within said chamber, said mixture constituting by volume a small fraction of the volume of said enclosed chamber, whereby upon shaking said device, the movement of the constituents of said mixmm within said chamber and the frictional contact between said powdered triboluminescent material and said granular friction inducing material will give rise to a sparking efiect visible through the light transmitting wall portions of said chamber.

2. A sparking device as in claim 1 wherein said granular friction inducing material 'is in the form of glass spheres having a diameter of from 3 to 6 mm.

3. A sparking device as in claim 2 wherein from 2 to 4 parts of the glass spheres is admixed with lpart of powdered triboluminescent phosphor material, by Weight.

4 A sparking device as in claim 1 wherein said mixture constitutes from about 5 to about 10% of the volume of said enclosed chamber.

5 A sparking device as in claim 1 wherein handle means extends from said enclosed chamber for imparting reciprocatory shaking movement to said device.

6. A sparking device'a's in claim 1 wherein said enclosed chamber has an annular, endless form.

7. A sparking device comprising an enclosed chamber having thin translucent plastic Wall portions, and a mixture of triboluminescent phosphor material and granular hard bodes of friction inducing material within said chamber, the movement and contact of the constituents. of said mixture in response to rapid agitation of said device being effective to produce a sparking efllect visible through the translucent wall portions of said device.

8. A sparking device as in claim 7 wherein said hard bodies are formed of glass in spherical form, the surface of said spherical glass bodies being etched.

9. A sparking device as in claim 7wherein said chamber is in endless hoop form.

It). A sparking device as in claim 9 wherein said chamber is subdivided by transverse partitions in circumferentially spaced relation, a portion of said miXturebeing disposed in selected subdivided chambers.

References Cited by the'Exan ziner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,644,890 7/1953 Hollihan 46-193 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I. BOVASSO, Examiner. 

1. A SPARKING DEVICE COMPRISING AN ENCLOSED CHAMBER HAVING LIGHT TRANSMITTING WALL PORTIONS AND A MIXTURE OF POWDERED TRIBOLUMINESCENT PHOSPHOR MATERIAL AND GRANULAR FRICTION INDUCING MATERIAL WITHIN SAID CHAMBER, SAID MIXTURE CONSTITUTING BY VOLUME A SMALL FRACTION OF THE VOLUME OF SAID ENCLOSED CHAMBER, WHEREBY UPON SHAKING SAID DEVICE, THE MOVEMENT OF THE CONSTITUENTS OF SAID MIXTURE WITHIN SAID CHAMBER AND THE FRICTIONAL CONTACT BETWEEN SAID POWDERED TRIBOLUMINESCENT MATERIAL AND SAID GRANULAR FRICTION INDUCING MATERIAL WILL GIVE RISE TO A SPARKING EFFECT VISIBLE THROUGH THE LIGHT TRANSMITTING WALL PORTIONS OF SAID CHAMBER. 